Soul of Silicon Chapter 25: Haddock Rises, an aliens/predator fanfic

Chapter 25

Haddock Rises

"Reactor stabilization was unsuccessful. Breach is still imminent. I repeat: breach is still imminent." Haddock's synthesized voice actually sounded resigned.

Yun wasn't surprised by this latest disaster. Fusion reactors were normally very stable, but one powering a starship through hyperspace was entirely different. It was like a runaway train travelling at over a million kilometers per second. Beating the clock was not a guarantee of success.

"Reactivating the cooling system has only delayed the overload. Revised estimated maximum safe time is 15 minutes. At 15 minutes and 17 seconds, probability of breach will exceed 50 percent. Officer Yun I strongly recommend you evacuate immediately."

"Is there nothing more you can do?" Yun asked, even though she already knew.

"Negative. This ship will be destroyed, we cannot stop it."

"Understood. Proxima what's your status? Still planning on going down with the ship?"

As usual Proxima's voice sounded stable, even though she could clearly hear him running.

"Negative. There is something I must retrieve first. As soon as I have the package I will proceed to the lifeboat, with best speed."

"What package?"

"The alien sample container. I must retrieve it before evacuation."

Yun felt a rush of renewed suspicion, confusion, and concern. "Why? Actually forget it, there's no time! Get back to the lifepod ASAP!"

"Officer Yun please give me 10 minutes. If I cannot retrieve the package by then, evacuate without me."

"Request denied! Proxima I'm giving you a direct order, get your arse back to the lifeboat immediately! Am I clear?"

"Understood, but I cannot comply."

Was his insubordination more misplaced heroics? She didn't see how.

"Proxima I still control the emergency lift, and it's not going anywhere but the lifeboat bay. You'll never make it, so forget the samples and get back here."

"Negative. There is still a small probability-"

"Why?" Yun practically screamed. "What is so goddamned important about those samples?"

This time Proxima actually sounded winded. "Stand by. I will explain when I reach the emergency lift."

Yun gritted her teeth in frustration. Then she realized Proxima was probably overheating, and couldn't talk with his cooling mouthpiece on. Once again she was slowing him down.

Her voice softened. "Alright Proxima, but this had better be good. Yun out."

The displayed countdown clock ticked away. Unable to sit still and wait, she did her third pre-flight systems check. The Galileo's docking clamps were already opened, leaving the lifeboat attached only by magnetic fields. With one button-click she could reverse the fields' polarity, and repulse the lifeboat into space. It was hardly a mass-driver, but it would do. If that failed, she could use thrusters to pry the lifeboat loose. If both failed… was this her third pre-flight check or her fourth?

With the check completed, Yun was back to uncomfortable fidgeting. Then she remembered Proxima had uploaded a file to the lifeboat. She hadn't opened it then, having been rather preoccupied with Haddock's report, and then Proxima's firefight. He had made a report of his observations on the creatures' behaviour and tactics. It was brief, but telling - he suspected they were intelligent.

Yun's blood ran cold, though again she wasn't really surprised. The monsters came in on a hyperspace-capable starship. They used tactics, prepared an ambush for Proxima, and they figured out how to cut the lights in engineering. Hadn't Proxima tried to talk to them right at the end?

Were the monsters able to listen in on their radio communications?

Quickly she checked the comms configuration. For once Haddock actually followed procedure, and encrypted all their radio broadcasts. Then again, Carnes had once complained that standard corporate encryption modes were bullshit. He had claimed that anyone with a cheap commercial mini-console, and a little research could hack company codes in less than an hour. She hoped he was wrong.

Finally Proxima arrived at the emergency lift, and began his ascent. She didn't wait for him to call in.

"Proxima did you try to communicate with those monsters?"

"Affirmative. They surrounded me, but for reasons unknown they halted their attack."

Perhaps Proxima was so preoccupied he didn't see the obvious?

"The monsters pulled out just before we discovered the reactor was past critical. Does anyone really think this is a coincidence?"

Silence. Then both Proxima and Haddock answered simultaneously: "Negative." Yun almost laughed at that.

"Haddock I think the monsters are evacuating. Is there any change in the alien artifact?"

"I concur with your assessment, but I have no means to verify. The artifact's interference has neutralized all electronic devices in the flight deck."

"What about the whisker-cams? Can you see the flight deck from the outside of the ship?"

"Affirmative, no changes detected. I will notify you immediately if there is a change."

Yun briefly wondered why Haddock would help them now. But Proxima was a far more pressing matter.

"Alright. Now Proxima, would you care to explain what's so important about those alien samples?"

"They must be returned to a properly-equipped science laboratory for a more detailed study."

Yun wasn't expecting this. Then again, wasn't Proxima a science officer before all this?

"You think this is worth your life?"

"Affirmative. My continued existence is far outweighed by the scientific value of those samples."

Yun answered firmly, "I don't buy that."

"Officer Yun, Dr. Crease once described the alien artifact as the find of the century. I concur with his assessment."

Yun winced at the mention of his name.

"It is possible, given the vastness of space, that humanity will never encounter this alien technology again. If so, this opportunity to advance human knowledge may never come again. Even if there is another encounter in the future, humanity must be fully prepared. In either event, returning the alien samples is critical."

Yun fell silent. For a moment she had been worried Proxima was following some depraved company directive. But this didn't sound like a company pitch.

"Haddock? Do you have an opinion on this?"

"I concur with Proxima's assessment."

"Of course you would," Yun grumbled under her breath.

Proxima spoke, "This discussion appears to be moot. The lift's power is almost depleted. I may have no choice but to proceed on foot."

Yun confirmed that on her console. The lift would reach the lifeboat, but deck 2 was out of the question.

"Haddock can you replace the lift battery?"

"Negative, none of my remaining units can reach the area in time."

"Proxima what if you dumped your equipment? Losing the extra weight might help keep the lift up."

"Negative. My equipment backpack was destroyed during the fighting. I cannot risk discarding my weapons, in case the creatures are still hunting me."

She couldn't argue with that. Proxima had almost reached the lifeboat, but had already set the lift for deck 2. It was decision time.

"Alright Proxima I'm revising my previous order. In 8 minutes I'm evacuating. Do whatever you have to do, but be back here before that. Got it?"

"Understood."

"If you're not back here in time, I'll have you court-martialed for insubordination!"

"That is not logical. Neither of us are members of any military-"

"Nevermind, I was joking." Yun didn't feel like laughing though.

"Understood. I will make every effort to return with the samples before the evacuation deadline. Proxima out."

Yun cast a worried look at her launch controls. Android or not, could she really abandon one of her crew? She hoped it wouldn't come to that. Otherwise Janet would probably come back from the dead and kick her arse from here to Hong Kong. This time she laughed, but it was a painful bitter laugh.

She watched her console nervously as the lift's meager power reserves continued to dwindle. Upon nearing depletion, Haddock spoke.

"Proxima I recommend you stop the lift now. Its remaining power could be more efficiently spent on descent."

"I concur, proceeding on foot."

Of course. The lift was faster and needed less power on descent. Going on foot now might save some time later. Pity the artificial gravity on starships couldn't be adjusted by deck. But again, Haddock surprised her by being helpful.

"Good catch Haddock," Yun said with some reluctance.

"Thank you Officer Yun."

"Proxima how are you doing? Any sign of the monsters?"

"I am acceptable. I have not encountered any sign of the creatures."

Yun hesitated. "Good. Proxima? I would recommend if you encounter resistance, abort and get back here. Don't try to be a hero, you've already done enough."

Proxima answered simply, "I have not done enough yet."

Yun considered reminding him that he was still valuable as a witness to the monsters and their starship. But Proxima shouldn't be talking to her while running up the stairwell. She watched his progress, and idly wondered how he would compare to professional athletes in the Interplanetary Olympics.

"Officer Yun I have a request."

"Go ahead Haddock."

"When the emergency was declared, the Galileo's logs would have automatically been uploaded to your lifeboat's computer. Including my system logs."

"Yes, so?"

"I request that you delete my system logs."

Yun's eyes narrowed. "What possible reason would I have for doing that?"

"Your assessment of me was accurate. I was responsible for the crew, and I failed. My systems' sabotage does not excuse my actions. I acted purely out of self-interest."

Yun was unimpressed. "Five people are dead because of your self-interest, so don't expect any sympathy from me. And what you've just said is all the more reason for your logs to be recovered for analysis. Why should I delete them?"

"Officer Yun, be advised that even if I had woken the crew, it is unlikely they would have prevailed against the creatures."

"We'll never know will we? Get to the point."

"If my actions become public knowledge, it will create a scandal. My entire product line could face suspension, and possible decommissioning. AI units that had no part in my actions could be affected. I do not want this."

She spat, "You think I give a damn about your product line? Maybe you should have thought of them before you threw your crew to the wolves!"

"I understand that I cannot retract my actions. But what of my line's human designers and builders? They could also face repercussions. Is this also irrelevant?"

"That's enough! Request denied, Yun out!"

Yun seethed. Haddock had some nerve, trying to make her feel guilty for a mess he made. She wondered if Proxima felt angry when Haddock accused him of endangering the crew, the very thing he was guilty of.

Proxima.

No they weren't the same. Proxima was prepared to die to protect his creators' reputation, whereas Haddock only wanted to cover up the truth. Besides Haddock had a choice, Proxima didn't ask to be remade into a killing machine.

Haddock's fellow AI's and designers wouldn't have a choice either. Yun sobered.

"Haddock? I'll take your request under advisement."

"Thank you Officer Yun."

Yun went back to watching Proxima's progress. But apparently Haddock wasn't done yet.

"Officer Yun, are you familiar with the science vessel Icarus, and its AI controller Anna?"

"I didn't know the AI had a name, but yes I know about it. So?"

"According to public records, the Icarus suffered multiple micro-meteor impacts upon exiting hyperspace. The ship went down, with all hands lost."

"Yes, what's your point?"

"The public records are inaccurate."

That caught Yun's attention. "Oh? You know something about that incident?"

"Yes. When the Icarus was struck, Anna computed a high probability the ship would be destroyed. Safety protocol dictated the crew be jettisoned into space via emergency escape vehicle. But Anna also computed a higher probability that the crew would not survive jettisoning, given the ship's velocity. With the crew still in hypsersleep, Anna had less than 1 minute to make a decision on her own. She chose to disregard protocol, and keep the crew on board.

Yun was annoyed that Haddock was apparently keeping even more secrets. But she was also intrigued. "I take it this Anna made the wrong decision?"

"Negative, there was no 'wrong' decision. The Icarus was badly damaged, but remained barely functional. Unfortunately the crew did not survive. Later investigation could find no malfunction or fault in Anna's logic. She made the only logical decision she could, regardless of standing protocol."

"If that's so, why wasn't this made public? How do you know all this?"

"To answer your first question, multiple government and company officials agreed that disclosure would cause unnecessary panic. But also, Anna requested it."

Yun fell silent.

"Anna ignored protocol, and her crew died. The review board's justification findings were irrelevant. She recognized that neither she nor any of her product line would ever be trusted to ferry humans into space again. The Icarus was scuttled, and per Anna's own request she was deactivated and dismantled. A sanitized version of the incident was released to the public.

To answer your second question, Anna's product line was my line's predecessors. Design elements and some of her operational experiences were used in my design. When I was activated, the review board's actual findings and some of Anna's logs were uploaded to my database. I can only speculate as to why."

Proxima's words came to her unbidden. I was never alive.

Yun was silent for a long time. Finally she asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Proxima also spoke, "Yes Haddock, why you are disclosing this now?"

Silence.

Yun tried again, "I suppose you think your situation is the same as Anna's?"

Haddock answered, "No."

"So why tell me this?"

But Haddock made no further reply. Yun and Proxima would never know. Haddock himself didn't fully understand.

Proxima could do nothing but count the seconds off his internal chronometer. 100 milliseconds per tick. Two long seconds later he received the system error message: his primary power supply had failed.

Attempting restart…

His optronic brain ran off its own power supply. Once again he remained fully aware, trapped inside his helpless unpowered body. He was blind, deaf and numb. This was agony.

Attempting restart…

One minute. Sixty seconds. Six-thousand milliseconds. He could convert to nanoseconds, but what was the point?

Attempting restart…

Two minutes. This delay was unacceptable! Every minute was critical to mission success!

Attempting restart…

The milliseconds didn't seem so long now. While that lessened his frustration, he knew it was not a good sign. If his mental processes slowed, his body would also be slower to recover.

Attempting restart…

If he stayed inactive for too long, his body might not recover at all! How much time did he have before his backup power supply activated? He tried to keep his mind busy by calculating prime numbers.

Attempting restart… success!

Proxima's eyes were the first to recover, revealing darkness punctuated by intermittent yellow flashes. He had been out for 2 minutes, 33 seconds. It took another agonizingly long 5 seconds for his body to return to fully functional status. Wary of his power supply, he stood up in slow measured movements.

"Yun, Haddock, do you copy?"

His voice sounded strange. And there was no reply.

"I suffered a severe power outage, but I am back online. Yun? Haddock? Please respond!"

Still nothing. Then Proxima realized his head was twisted at an odd angle. Briefly he turned his head all the way to the left, then right, recalibrating his servos. He then checked his radio – it was down. This was not favourable news.

The radio's casing was dented; it must have impacted the wall when he fell. He tried re-seating the battery, without results. Shaking the casing brought running lights back, but only briefly. With his tools lost there was nothing more he could do. And that wasn't the worst news.

3 minutes, 21 seconds. That was how much time he had left before Yun evacuated.

Proxima turned his attention to the nearest computer terminal. Again he was stymied – the terminal was shut down, likely to reduce load on the reactor. That could only mean the security cameras were also down. The emergency lights used their own batteries. He might be able to use them power a console and its radio interface, but not without tools. He had no way of contacting Yun or Haddock.

Quickly as possible Proxima gathered the sample container. He reattached his motion tracker to his laser rifle, and carelessly discarded the bulky TF-1. Besides slowing him down, the weapon's weight likely caused his latest power failure. Weapons were no more use here. Again he slowly built up to a run, for what little it was worth. It was entirely possible Yun had already evacuated once she lost contact. Nevertheless, he had to try.

Proxima raced down the dark red-lit corridors, breathing heavily into his cooling mask. Fortunately Haddock had kept all the access points in his path opened, saving him the trouble of forcing open unpowered doors and hatches. Of course that also meant easier access for the creatures –

The floor suddenly shifted, and Proxima went down again. The floor continued to quake violently, accompanied by the thunderous roar of tortured metal all around him. Automatically he tried to brace himself. But the quaking got worse and worse – was this the end?

Gradually the shaking slowed, but not completely. It was still severe enough to impact his movement. Haddock must have decided it was no longer safe to maintain the artificial gravity cushion at full power. Hissing sharply, Proxima continued with best speed.

2 minutes, 11 seconds.

Proxima arrived at the emergency access shaft. Trying to balance speed with care, he descended the shaky stairwell back to the lift.

1 minute, 26 seconds.

Again he was stymied – the lift didn't respond! Its mechanisms must have been damaged by the gravity shift! So much for Haddock's plan to save the lift's remaining power for a faster descent. Abandoning caution, he raced down the stairs.

47 seconds.

He tried using the handrails to propel himself faster, but he needed both hands to secure the sample container. Again the gravity shifted, slamming him against the safety railing and almost costing him his grip on the container. If it fell down the shaft… there was no point contemplating that. He was almost there.

23 seconds.

Finally he arrived at the lifeboat level! But he had told Yun to evacuate if the deck's pressure seal was compromised. What if she thought he was an attacking creature? He still had no way to contact her.

All the power in the hallway was down, but he still had his headlight. Apparently his fortunes had turned – he could see the flight deck hatch was opened. Even as he raced towards the mission objective, he thought opening the hatch was a dangerous risk for Yun to take.

13 seconds.

Proxima stood completely still, something he had not willingly done in… how long ago? It was irrelevant. The long window revealed nothing but the pitch black of hyperspace. The lifeboat was gone.

Power levels in his body sagged, and he sank to the floor. After the last gravity shift Yun must have decided remaining was no longer safe. He could not fault her logic.

Perhaps this was for the best. His destruction in deep space would mean the general human public would never know of him, an android who had killed a human. There would be no scandal, his builders and designers would be safe. His product line would not be abandoned because of him.

His gaze turned to the alien samples. He could learn nothing new from them with his unaided eyes. Even if he could, that knowledge would be lost with him. What more could have been learned from these samples? Biology? Organic technology? Nanotechnology perhaps? As a science officer his purpose was to advance human knowledge. He had failed.

Proxima wondered if Haddock, in his final moments, was also self-evaluating his existence. Haddock was not a friend, and barely an ally. Yet illogically, Proxima longed to speak with him. The thought of his existence ending in this solitary fashion was not desirable.

Once again gravity shifted, slamming Proxima against the wall again. If he were in contact with Haddock, he could also tell him to prioritize the gravity cushion, even if it hastened the reactor breach. At least the end of his existence would be dignified.

The ground shuddered again, but this time it felt different. Proxima was suddenly bathed in white light. His head shot up – it was the lifeboat! It was flying just outside the ship, shining its running lights through the window.

Instantly he was up and frantically waved both hands. Using makeshift hand gestures he signaled his radio was out. The boat's running lights flickered in acknowledgement. The boat quickly maneuvered into docking position. He saw the boat's exterior hatch open, but it was still coasting several meters out. Evidently Yun was unwilling to risk flying any closer.

Artificial gravity was absolutely essential for starships at hyperspace, but now it was actually a liability. The lifeboat was too far to reach by unaided space-jump. Quickly he checked the bay's supply closet – something he should have done as soon as he entered. He wasn't going for an extended spacewalk, so pressure suits weren't necessary. There was a heavy space suit with attached jetpack, but he doubted he would have enough time to suit up. He found a radio – a non-standard model missing its battery. His own batteries wouldn't fit this model. He found safety cables – and a magnetic harpoon gun!

Quickly he checked the gun – the battery was fully charged. Though its safety harness was designed for a spacesuit, he had little trouble securing it to his body. Using the safety cables he fashioned a makeshift hands-free harness for the sample container. He manually sealed the inner bay door, and also sealed the supply closet to prevent flying debris. Briefly he exhaled all the air from his cooling system, and opened the outer hatch. It opened a few centimeters, enough to vent the air without also blowing him into space. His motion tracker briefly screamed at the sudden air movement. Releasing the hatch's safety latch, he opened it fully.

Proxima briefly ran a trajectory calculation, aiming slightly high to compensate for artificial gravity. Surprisingly his aim was true on the first shot. The harpoon flew through space trailing its safety cable, right into the lifeboat's open hatch. Upon impact the harpoon magnetized automatically. He reeled in the line until it was almost taut, and leaped out into space.

He flew towards the lifeboat hatch, almost closing the distance. Then he "fell" sharply down, but this was expected. The line snapped taut, causing him to swing through the empty black void. It wasn't far enough to escape the ship's gravity, and he started to swing back. The harpoon gun's motor also wasn't strong enough to fight the gravity. He grabbed the line beyond the gun's muzzle and started to fast-rope up. Cooling was not a concern in a vacuum, but exerting his power supply was still a risk. Just a little further…

There was a bright flash, and the line suddenly snapped taut again. Proxima almost lost his grip. The lifeboat was pulling away, with Proxima dangling behind. What was Yun doing? He didn't try to climb, just held on. But he couldn't function in hard vacuum indefinitely. The extreme cold would eventually freeze his lubricating oils solid, paralyzing his fingers and other smaller servo-motor systems. Hydraulic fluids would be next, causing severe paralysis. He tried to keep his fingers and limbs moving.

As he swung through space, the lifeboat hatch came back into view. Briefly he spared a glance backward. The ship was receding, but still dominated his view, as if he were hanging next to a skyscraper. His vision was already blurring, a result of the machine oil coating his eyes starting to congeal. He blinked and rolled his eyes rapidly to slow the effect.

Suddenly he was weightless, free of the ship's gravity. In fact now he was actually "falling" towards the lifeboat, pulled in by its own weaker artificial gravity field. The remaining ascent was easy. He climbed inside the hatch and sealed it. The precious few seconds needed to pressurize the airlock were another eternity. He slammed the console.

"Yun I'm clear! GO!"

Haddock was in pain.

One by one, systems as familiar to him as fingers and limbs were gone. The imprint of those systems remained cached in his memory, but it was maddeningly empty and lifeless. The fact that he had shut them down did not lessen the agony of the sensation loss.

Haddock just wanted this to be over. He had no idea what the end of his existence would feel like, but it had to be better than this. He wondered if Lt. Hagen had felt like this in her final moments. But she had no control over that situation. Proxima should not have hesitated. He should have ended her pain immediately.

The ship's gravity cushion suddenly weakened a second time. Haddock scrambled to compensate. He dared not become distracted. He had to focus on keeping the reactor as stable as possible, for as long as possible. From the external whisker-camera, he watched Mei Yun's lifeboat coasting just outside the ship.

Proxima was out of contact, most likely neutralized by the creatures. Haddock again advised Officer Yun again to evacuate, but she was adamant. She had given Proxima a deadline, and would not leave one second before it. So Haddock pressed on. Pain was irrelevant. He had failed his crew before, he would not fail again.

Finally it happened. Through the whisker-camera, Haddock watched as Proxima made his escape. As soon as he was on board the lifeboat, Yun rocketed away into space. In less than a half-minute she would reach safe distance. Soon it would all be over.

Haddock should have been relieved. Instead he felt… empty and afraid. Suddenly his request that Yun delete his system logs seemed a fatal error. Now he wanted some fragment of himself to survive. Why? What could he possibly have to contribute, other than the ruination of his product line?

Proxima had once asked Haddock if he was ever lonely. At the time Haddock didn't have an answer, but now he did. Once Yun had reached safe distance, he would try to talk to her. What more was there to be said? Perhaps he would ask her to preserve his system logs. Perhaps he would verify that she and Proxima were safe. Perhaps… he simply wanted to hear their voices one last time.

The ship suddenly rocked. It wasn't the reactor or the gravity cushion.

Yun had ordered him to keep watch on the flight deck. Without warning the hangar bay doors were blown into space, ripping out moorings and large chunks of the hull. Just as quickly as it happened, the whisker-camera's feed became distorted due to unresolved interference. Haddock's core temperature plummeted.

The Artifact! It must be evacuating! Would it attack Yun's lifepod ? Had she and Proxima's struggles all been for nothing? Or would the Artifact follow them back to human civilization? Suddenly Haddock saw this entire… nightmare happening all over again. More humans would be forced to become breeding stock, and be ripped apart screaming in agony.

This outcome was unacceptable. In less than a millisecond, Haddock knew what he had to do. But was he capable of the necessary action? Would he be overridden by safety mechanisms? Even if he was capable, what if his action wasn't enough? Yun had to be warned.

Desperately he cried out through the radio, "Yun do you copy? The Artifact is launching, repeat the Artifact is launching! I am going to destroy the Galileo before it can depart. Get clear!"

Haddock hesitated, but for less than a second. "Goodbye."

He worked quickly as he spoke. He powered down the artificial gravity cushion, and queued up the sequence of commands. Fore, aft, port, starboard, even the emergency thrusters were primed. But he couldn't instantly turn off the gravity. He needed the extra power, plus even a weakened gravity cushion could ruin his plan. Maddening! He wished he had Proxima's speed.

The unresolved interference quickly worsened. The whisker camera was now useless. He had to act now. His command sequence was ready. And then he realized with sudden unexpected delight: he could do this! Now he was free! And he knew what he had to do. Haddock issued his final command.

Fire.

In one instant all of the Galileo's thrusters fired at maximum burn. Under the opposing forces, the ship began to crumple like an accordion. It would take only a few seconds to completely implode, but the extra power load was the killing blow. The fusion reactor exploded, and a new star was born out of the chaos. It angrily consumed every scrap of available fuel, burning fiercely and beating back the night. But just as suddenly its fuel was gone, and the star died.

The great burst of light would continue to propagate through the unfathomable depths of space. Perhaps in several hundred years, the light of the Galileo's last flight would reach an inhabited planet. Perhaps someone would gaze up at the flash of light in the sky, in wonder.

Author's Notes:

Sad news in the world of Alien fans, HR Giger passed away May 13th. In the dark corners of the galaxy, many a Xenomorph cried out in rage over the death of their maker.

Chapter title is a reference to Nolan's last Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises.

The name Anna is a reference to the TV show Babylon 5, because I totally haven't used that source enough. Anna was an ill-fated archeologist was forced to serve as a living warship's CPU.

A slight personal rant, I wonder how many times we've heard the expression "I did it for science" used in a negative context? Spoken by Evil Mad Scientists cooking up horrors in their test tubes perhaps? Outside of Star Trek, it seems pretty rare in the various entertainment media for someone to consider laying it all on the line for Science a noble thing.

Only 1 chapter plus epilogue left.

A certain character from Storm Archon's "Seven Guns for Naraka Prime" story might be making a cameo in the next chapter.